SEASON OF SCANDAL: 1/3 OF HOUSE PANELS NOW PROBING OBAMA ADMINISTRATION -- Jake Sherman and Lauren French write for the hometown paper: “Scandal politics are sweeping Capitol Hill. Just days after news broke that the IRS targeted conservative nonprofits, Speaker John Boehner’s House committees will morph into mock courtrooms where the White House will be the defendant in what amounts to a number of high-stakes political trials. The most recent scandal to grip the Obama administration came Monday evening, when The Associated Press disclosed that the Justice Department sought its reporters’ phone records — including those of correspondents who sit in the Capitol. Within hours, House Republicans vowed to investigate. To make things worse for President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled to be on Capitol Hill Wednesday for a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

-- “That’s hardly the president’s only problem. Two separate committees — Oversight and Government Reform, and Ways and Means — will probe whether the IRS was treating right-leaning groups unfairly. Republicans moved swiftly to secure the IRS acting director for a Friday hearing, just a week after the news broke. GOP aides hinted Monday afternoon that widespread calls for the director’s resignation could come shortly. … The inquest into the IRS is just the latest in a string of GOP-led investigations suddenly gaining steam on Capitol Hill. Instead of negotiating with the White House, GOP lawmakers are now investigating it. …

Story Continued Below

-- “There are currently five separate committee investigations into the attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, and a probe into Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius raising millions of dollars to promote Obamacare. Ways and Means is demanding answers to seven questions on this matter, as well. All together, roughly one-third of House committees are engaged in investigating some aspect of the Obama administration.” http://politi.co/101ubbr

THE LATEST SCANDAL: DOJ GETS PHONE RECORDS OF AP REPORTERS – One of the more interesting angles to the story is that Justice obtained records for the House Press Gallery, whose communal phones are used by reporters from numerous media outlets on any given day. AP’s Mark Sherman writes: “The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news. The records obtained by the Justice Department listed outgoing calls for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, for general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and for the main number for the AP in the House of Representatives press gallery, according to attorneys for the AP. … In all, the government seized the records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists in April and May of 2012. The exact number of journalists who used the phone lines during that period is unknown, but more than 100 journalists work in the offices where phone records were targeted, on a wide array of stories about government and other matters.” http://bit.ly/18HJFnR

LAWMAKERS IN BOTH PARTIES were fuming over the DOJ phone records story, with House Speaker John Boehner’s office saying “they better have a damned good explanation,” Fox News reports: “Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, said he’s “very troubled” by the allegations. ‘The burden is always on the government when they go after private information -- especially information regarding the press or its confidential sources. I want to know more about this case, but on the face of it, I am concerned that the government may not have met that burden,’ Leahy said in a statement. … House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said he plans to ask Attorney General Eric Holder ‘pointed questions’ on the issue at a hearing Wednesday.” http://fxn.ws/15ICEED

** A message from Fix The Senate Now:The National Labor Relations Board enforces workplace rights for more than 80 million employed in the private sector. If the Senate fails to confirm all five NLRB members, workers will have no recourse when employers break the law by harassing, disciplining or terminating them for exercising their rights. Learn more: GiveUs5NLRB.org

WaPo LEAD EDITORIAL: “The IRS’s turn to answer questions”: “Any unequal application of the law based on ideological viewpoint is unpardonable — toxic to the legitimacy of the government’s vast law-enforcement authority. … The inspector general also reports that Lois Lerner, the head of the IRS’s tax-exempt organization office, knew about the targeting in 2011; she seemed to say Friday that she learned about it from news reports last year. That inconsistency raises suspicions about the agency’s statements that higher-ups didn’t know about the targeting and that there was no political motivation. …

-- “When Ms. Lerner heard about the targeting of tea party groups, she rightly demanded the practice end. But did she reinstitute checks against inappropriate targeting that had been in place years before? If not, why not? What are the safeguards now? Who else knew about the targeting? In subsequent testimony, IRS leaders assured lawmakers that no one did. Were they ignorant or deliberately untruthful? Did they even ask before reporting to Congress? Considering that Ms. Lerner seems to have known about the targeting by 2011, did the IRS ever plan on revealing that it had singled out conservative groups? Or was it only the impending release of the inspector general’s report that compelled agency officials to ’fess up? The administration should provide complete answers, and soon.” http://wapo.st/19mV8qw

OBAMA RESPONDS – Michael D. Shear and Jonathan Weisman report for the New York Times: “President Obama, facing re-energized Republican adversaries and new questions about the administration’s conduct, on Monday dismissed a furor over the handling of last year’s attacks in Benghazi, Libya, as a political ‘sideshow’ but joined a bipartisan chorus of outrage over disclosures that the Internal Revenue Service had singled out conservative groups for special scrutiny. Mr. Obama called the I.R.S. reports ‘outrageous’ and ‘contrary to our traditions,’ adding his voice to those of Republicans and isolating the agency as the House scheduled a hearing on Friday in what is likely to be an extensive Congressional review of the agency’s actions. ‘I’ve got no patience with it,’ Mr. Obama said during a joint news conference at the White House with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain. ‘I will not tolerate it. And we will make sure that we find out exactly what happened on this.’” http://nyti.ms/13hbePc

OBAMA’S STRUGGLES HAMPER DEMOCRATIC RECRUITMENT -- National Journal’s Alex Roarty writes: “All this doesn’t add up to a welcoming environment for Democrats next year--at least not when the party is already contending with defending seven Senate seats in states Mitt Romney carried, facing a midterm cycle inherently favorable for Republicans. And it could help explain why some of the party’s top recruits in the country’s GOP-heavy quarters have, at least so far, opted against campaigns. The latest evidence came Monday, when former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, the Democrats’ top target in the open-seat race in South Dakota, announced she would not seek the party’s nomination. Her decision came one week after another top Democratic recruit, Rep. John Barrow of Georgia, decided to run for reelection in the House. And in Kentucky, the party is still scrambling to find a candidate to compete against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a man whom Senate Democratic officials have labeled the GOP’s most vulnerable incumbent.” http://bit.ly/15IMZRd

GILLIBRAND LEADS CHARGE TO CHANGE PENTAGON’S HANDLING OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS – Jeremy Herb reports for The Hill: “Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is raising her profile as one of the leading Democratic advocates for changing the way the military prosecutes sexual assault cases. Gillibrand is making the case both publicly and privately to remove sexual assault cases from the military’s chain of command, a step that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and other military leaders have resisted. Hagel has proposed to address the increase of sexual assaults in the military by stripping commanders of the ability to overturn guilty verdicts, but Gillibrand’s bill — which she will introduce Thursday with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) — would go even further. … The senator is making her push on the issue as Democrats are hoping to build upon their advantage with female voters, a constituency that helped them hold the White House and Senate in the 2012 elections. The push is also taking place at a time when Gillibrand is often spoken of as a possible contender for the White House in 2016 if former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decides not to run.” http://bit.ly/10vHJY8

THE ROGERS REPORT: CAN THE FARM BILL SAVE THE BEE? – “It’s an only-in-Washington drama that opens Tuesday and Wednesday as the Senate and House agriculture committees mark up their new five-year plans, which are worth tens of billions of dollars to American farmers over the next decade,” David Rogers writes for POLITICO. “The powerful crop insurance industry and old-line commodity lobbies like rice, cotton and corn will be at the table defending their share. But the big newcomer is the bee, which has been disappearing in record numbers and become a symbol of much that is haywire in the current system. Indeed, the number of honeybee colonies in the U.S. fell by nearly a third this past winter according to government data released last week. … Native American bees as well as the honeybee — more often used in managed pollination — are affected, and the threat to agriculture is real. Billions in annual farm income could be lost given the bee’s importance to scores of specialty crops from tomato and pumpkin patches to fruit trees and California’s almond industry.” http://politi.co/16w0YsR

SENATE PANEL GETS BACK TO WORK ON IMMIGRATION – Seung Min Kim reports for POLITICO: “The Senate Gang of Eight has largely controlled the Senate Judiciary Committee’s immigration markup, and the group’s next step: shielding a painstakingly negotiated agreement for a new guest worker program. This week, the gang will have to fend off amendments from both the right and left to fiddle with the program, either to appease businesses or insert stronger protections for labor. Much as they did with border security measures last week, the four members of the gang on the Judiciary Committee, who brokered the immigration deal will aim to band together and defeat changes that could prove fatal to the overall bill. … But the Gang’s rock-solid unity is already fueling anger from conservatives and critics of the immigration bill, who are accusing the bipartisan coalition of exercising undue influence on immigration policy behind closed doors.” http://politi.co/16w2hrQ

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 14, 2013, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day’s congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include @JohnFeehery and @RepScottPerry.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate meets at 10 a.m. Unless an agreement is reached, the chamber will hold a cloture vote on the Water Resources Development Act at noon. The Senate will recess from 12:30 to 2:15 for party caucus lunches.

The House is in at noon with votes expected around 6:30 p.m. on legislation considered under suspension of the rules: the National Blue Alert Act; a bill to affirm the policy of the United States regarding Internet governance; and a bill authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha.

AROUND THE HILL -- Rep. Steve King speaks on immigration reform at 11 a.m. at the House Triangle. Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer holds a pen and pad briefing at 11 a.m. in H-144.

ABORTION DOCTOR GUILTY OF THREE MURDER COUNTS -- Joseph A. Slobodzian writes on A1 of the Philadelphia Inquirer: “For more than three decades, Kermit Barron Gosnell made his name providing abortions in the most difficult cases - the poor, the uninsured, and women pushing the 24-week threshold when abortion becomes illegal in Pennsylvania. Now the 72-year-old West Philadelphia physician has to save a life - his own - after a Common Pleas Court jury found him guilty Monday of killing three babies born alive during illegal late-term abortions. Gosnell appeared as placidly enigmatic as ever as the jury of seven women and five men came into court at 2:50 p.m., the ninth full day of deliberations, and said he was guilty of three counts of first-degree murder.” http://bit.ly/ZXk83J

SPEAKER BOEHNER:“I’m thankful that Kermit Gosnell will be held accountable for his brutality and that some measure of justice has been served for the atrocities he committed. This is a sad and horrific case – one that reminds us there is no one more defenseless, or more in need of our protection, than the unborn. I continue to pray for the lives taken by Kermit Gosnell and for the families affected by his crimes.”

SEN. MIKE LEE (R-UTAH): “This case has always been about more than one man. It’s about an unaccountable industry that for too long has preyed upon the vulnerable and the innocent. We must take steps in coming months and years to end the decades of corruption and violence in America's late-term abortion industry. Whatever our views on abortion rights, we can all agree no one has the right to operate an unsanitary, unsafe abortion clinic, and government at all levels has a compelling interest in protecting innocent women and children from anyone who would."

PELOSI: IF BOEHNER WERE A WOMAN … -- Kevin Robillard writes for POLITICO: “Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says her GOP successor would be considered the ‘weakest speaker in history’ if he were a woman. ‘I will say this about John Boehner, and I have a good relationship with him,’ Pelosi, now the House minority leader, said on Monday on MSNBC’s ‘All In With Chris Hayes.’ ‘If he were a woman, they’d be calling him the weakest speaker in history.’ Since President Barack Obama was reelected in November, Boehner has repeatedly had to pass major legislation by relying on Democratic votes, breaking the so-called Hastert Rule, which says legislation should have the support of the majority of the majority party. Legislation to avert the fiscal cliff, to extend aid to Hurricane Sandy victims and an extension of the Violence Against Women Act were passed this way.” http://politi.co/YGywzy

WEINER STAFFING UP FOR POSSIBLE MAYORAL RUN – POLITICO’s Maggie Haberman has the story: “Anthony Weiner, the fallen congressman who has been eyeing a comeback in New York City this year, has tapped at least one staffer for a mayoral run, two sources told POLITICO. It’s the most affirmative step Weiner has taken toward a campaign, since he made his confessional interview to The New York Times Magazine weeks ago. Sources did not identify the name of the staffer, or what position the person will play on the campaign. But it comes after Weiner and his associates have spent weeks canvassing for names of potential press aides and other hires. … Weiner’s window for deciding whether to enter the race is closing — petitioning to get on the ballot begins early next month, and he will need to hire people to gather signatures for him.” http://politi.co/10J5iTb

SENATE DEMS WEIGH ‘NUCLEAR OPTION’ AGAIN – Alexander Bolton writes for The Hill: “Senate Democrats frustrated with the GOP’s blocking of a string of President Obama’s nominees are seriously weighing a controversial tactic known as the ‘nuclear option.’ The option — which would involve Democrats changing Senate rules through a majority vote to prevent the GOP from using the 60-vote filibuster to block nominations — was raised during a private meeting Wednesday involving about 25 Democratic senators and a group of labor leaders. The labor officials demanded that Democrats break the logjam by stripping Republicans of the ability to filibuster. … The labor groups expressed frustration over future nominees to the National Labor Relations Board, as well as Obama’s nomination of Thomas Perez as secretary of Labor. Democrats’ anger also boiled over last week when Republicans stalled Gina McCarthy, the president’s choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency, by boycotting a meeting of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) should demand a majority-only vote.” http://bit.ly/10UPZkn

ROTHENBERG SHOOTS DOWN A CRUZ PRESIDENTIAL RUN – “While there are plenty of Cruz admirers around the country, that constituency is a distinct minority nationally,” Stu Rothenberg writes for Roll Call. “Cruz is smart (he attended Princeton and Harvard Law School, and clerked for Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist), and he has strong appeal to Republicans who see every battle in ideological terms, as a fight of good versus evil. But that isn’t most Americans. And it certainly isn’t most swing voters. As I wrote in July after talking with Cruz twice during his Senate campaign, ‘He seemed certain that he was right about everything and apparently believed it’s unnecessary for a politician to connect with voters in any way other than on a checklist of issue positions.’” http://bit.ly/128aYTn

LANDRIEU GETS A CHALLENGER – Drew Broach reports for the Times-Picayune: “U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., drew a new challenger Monday when Rob Maness, a retired Air Force colonel who lives in Madisonville, announced he will run for the seat "to restore America to the rock-solid foundation of the Constitution and the conservative values that made it so great." The 51-year-old Republican said his Air Force service included work in the field as a combat commander and as an operations officer in the Pentagon. He is Entergy Services Inc.'s director of safety and training and owns a third-generation family farm with his wife, Candy, according to his Facebook page. He is a founding board member at NOLA Patriots, Inc., a military veterans advocacy group committed to preventing veteran suicides and ensuring military families have equal access to benefits.” http://bit.ly/16wJoVF

MONDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Jim Casto was first to correctly answer that the current Supreme Court building, completed in 1935, came in about $94,000 under budget. Casto emails: “Supreme Court building was designed architect Cass Gilbert, who also designed the WV State Capitol in Charleston. Interestingly enough, it too was completed under budget.”

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Kip Talley has today’s question: Who was the first U.S. representative to be elected by a write-in vote, and what year did it occur? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says “Sign Up.” http://www.politico.com/huddle/

** A message from Fix The Senate Now:Workers are saying “Give Us Five.” It’s time for the Senate majority to confirm the three Democrats and two Republicans who have been nominated to the National Labor Relations Board so that workers' rights are protected and labor law is fairly enforced.

The NLRB is the only agency that enforces workplace rights for more than 80 million employed in the private sector. If the Senate fails to confirm all five members of the NLRB, there will be no rules or decisions that support the right of workers to improve their working conditions or have a union without facing employer harassment, discipline or termination.

We have a Democratic President, elected by a strong majority, and Democratic majority in the Senate. The Senate has the tools it needs to confirm all five members of the Board.

About The Author

Scott Wong covers transportation for POLITICO Pro, and authors The Huddle, POLITICO’s popular morning tipsheet on Congress. He was a congressional reporter with the publication from 2010 to 2012.

He reported from Tucson, Ariz., after the deadly shooting rampage that severely injured Rep. Gabby Giffords and helped break a story about Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill’s private plane that led to her admission she owed more than $300,000 in state property taxes.

He got his professional start in journalism covering local government for two small newspapers in his native San Francisco Bay Area. He later became a staff writer for The Arizona Republic, where he covered the Arizona statehouse and Phoenix City Hall.

After graduating from UCLA, he spent a year teaching English in a rural mountain village in Japan. He is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association, and lives with his wife and daughter in Washington.